Casket-top.



H. A. WISE.

GASKET TOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1911.

Patented May 6, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cu.,wAshn\u'rnN. u. c.

GUM/neg WTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

HENRY ALLEN WISE, OF ROCKWELL, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO ROCKWELL FURNITURE COMPANY, OF ROCKWELL, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

CASKET-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALLEN lVIsn, citizen of the United States, residing at Rockwell in the county of Rowan and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket- Tops, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates in general to burial cases or receptacles, and more particularly to an improved cover for a casket or coffin, the said cover embodying novel features of construction whereby the head section is slidably mounted and can be moved under the foot section when it is desired to partially open the casket for the purpose of exposing the corpse to view.

In the common method of constructing casket covers, the head section is either hinged to the cover or arranged to be bodily removed therefrom. A hinged head section is very awkward, and a removable head section is a nuisance, since there is seldom any convenient place to put the same and it is always in the way during the funeral services.

The primary object of the present invention has been to overcome the above objections by the provision of a simple and inexpensive casket lid or cover in which the head section is peculiarly constructed and mounted so as to telescope under the foot section, the said head section sliding freely without any binding action when in an open or partially open position, but forming a tight joint with the cover when moved into a closed position.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a casket cover constructed in accordance with the invention, the telescoping head section being shown in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the casketcover on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing the head section partly open, and Fig. 4: is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 8, the head section being shown as partly closed in full lines.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a burial case, coffin, or casket of the usual or any suitable construction, and 2 a removable cover or head which may be secured to the casket in any preferred manner. The cover 2 is formed with a rectangular frame 3 having opposite sides thereof connected at an intermediate point in their length by a transverse panel 4 upon which the name plate 5 is usually mounted.

The fixed foo-t section 6 is arranged within one end of the frame 3 and is secured to the said frame and name plate panel. This foot section 6 is shown as transversely arched and is formed of thin material such as sheet metal. The head section 7 is'designed to close the opposite end of the frame and is also transversely arched and formed of thin material so as to telescope under the name plate panel 4 and the foot section 6. The edges of the head section 7 are mounted in grooves 8 formed in opposite sides of the frame 3, the said grooves gradually converging toward the head of the cover. The sides of the head section 7 also gradually converge toward the outer end thereof, and the said head section is so proportiloned that it fits tightly within the grooves 8 when it is moved into a closed position, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 4, although it fits loosely within the tapered grooves 8 so as to slide freely without any binding act-ion when in an open or partially open position, as also indicated in Fig. A.

A suitable handle or finger piece 9 may be applied to the outer end of the head section for convenience in manipulating the same, and it will be entirely obvious that when the said head piece is telescoped under the foot section it is not in the way, and does not interfere in any manner with the decorations or drapings upon and within the casket.-

The usual slide 10 may be arranged at the head of the cover or lid under the head sec tion 7 the said slide being mounted within a suitable groove provided by the battens 11. This slide is provided with gauze or similar material and may be readily moved into or out of position in the usual manner.

lVIore particular attention may be directed to the fact that both the fixed foot sect-ion and the telescoping head section are formed of very thin material such as sheet metal, so that to all appearances the head section is a continuation of the foot section when the casket is closed, any difference in elevation between the two members being so slight as to escape notice. The telescoping head section can be very quickly opened or closed and is entirely out of the way when moved under the foot section, thereby eliminating all of the annoyance which is commonly incident to the removable or hinged head section.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, it will be understood that the guiding grooves 8 for the sliding head section 7 are tapered in two ways. First, each groove 8 tapers in its vertical width, being larger or wider toward the rear end of the casket lid than at the front end so that as the head section 7 is slid to its closed position over the front opening the edges of the said section 7 have a wedging fit in the narrowing portions of the said grooves 8 so as to make a tightly sealed joint. Second, in addition to the tapering width of the individual grooves 8, the opposite grooves have a convergence toward each other in adirection toward the front end of the casket lid, as shown in Fig. 4. of the drawings so that the correspondingly convergent front end of the section 7 has a lateral wedging engagement within and between the two grooves 8 all of which materially contributes to the tight closure of the said sliding head section 7, and which is a feature of particular importance in casket construction.

While the foot and head sections 6 and 7 respectively, are preferably made of sheet metal and are of an arched form, it will, of course, be understood that any kind of material of different shapes for the parts may be utilized, and in fact, any changes in the form, proportions and minor details of construction, as fall within the scope of the appended claim may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A cover for burial cases, including a frame whose sides are formed with inclined grooves which taper in their vertical width, being wider vertically toward the rear end of the casket cover than atthe front end, the opposite grooves also having a convergence toward each other in a direction toward the front end of the casket cover, a head section having its lateral edges slidably engaging within said grooves and which edges converge toward each other to a lesser degree than the converging grooves in the frame, so that the head section has a lateral wedging engagement within and between the said grooves in the frame.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY ALLEN WISE.

l/Vitnesses J. W. PEELER, P. E. TREXLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

